A Kiss Goodnight
by Becca-Loves-Yuge
Summary: It's been a year since Atem left this world,and yet,Anzu recieves a call late at night in America from him, urging her to return to Japan.With only a simple promise,she jumps on a plane to Japan to see him one more time.
1. Part 1

I'm back from my hiatus! I'm so sorry! Things just got so busy! But, I hope to have this finished by next weekend, as it's a two shot. And of course I own nothing!

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**A Kiss Goodnight**

**Part 1**

He didn't know why. He didn't know how. All he knew was that the After Life was not to his expectations and when he woke up one morning, he was staring up at the familiar window covered ceiling of Yuugi's room. He gasped as the realization that he could feel the fibers of the carpet and the slight nip of the fall air.

He figured it had to do with the Gods. They could tell that he was longing to be back with his future half and friends. With _that _girl. Maybe it had to do with the fact that soon after he crossed over, the mistake was made known that Teana was meant to be in Anzu's place and Anzu was meant to be in Teana's. The Gods had switched his soul mate –Anzu- with a girl that was meant to be Yuugi's friend. That was partially why he could not seem to enjoin Paradise. How could he when the one he was meant to enjoy it with was back in the human world?

And then there were his friends. He missed Honda and Jonouchi's antics. Sure Mana could be quite the trickster, but she paled in comparison to them.

Even though these people –spirits- were his real friends, he could not shake the new friendships he had forged in the future. And while his memories were still all so new to him, they just weren't what he had wanted. He supposed that he had been right that one night when he had told Yuugi that he wanted to share Yuugi's memories. His own were nice, but just weren't what he wanted.

He knew who he was now, but he was unhappy with it. He no longer had something to work towards. And that made him feel emptier than when he had no clue as to who he was.

However, nothing could have prepared him for when he learned what all had happened during his absence. Yuugi had, as he was meant to, taken up a relationship with Rebecca Hawkins. Atem was thrilled for the boy. It seemed that he had finally gotten over his crush for a certain dancer.

Though it seemed that as Yuugi cheerfully ate some breakfast, he knew that she was who the Pharaoh was eager to hear about now that he knew his aibou was doing well; a girlfriend, taking Egyptology classes at the local college, still the number one ranked duelist. Things were going spectacular for the youth. Yuugi, for some reason, kept Anzu out of every story he told about their friends.

Honda had finally gone out with Shizuka…Jonouchi and Mai had made up…Kaiba was…well, Kaiba…Everyone was doing just fine. Yet, Yuugi still kept Anzu from popping up.

Yuugi chewed his egg thoughtfully. "Hmm…" He swallowed. "Oh, yeah! Did I mention that Kaiba is starting a Duel Academy?"

The Pharaoh momentarily closed his eyes. "Yes, you have. Twice I believe." When his crimson eyes opened once more, it was to see Yuugi looking down at his food, playing with it like a lost child. Atem reached his hand across the table and placed it over Yuugi's. "Yuugi, I have a feeling that you are keeping something from me. You've yet to mention Anzu. Has something happened?"

He tried to think how long he had been gone. Only a few months, right? Nothing too horrible could have happened? Right?

Yuugi looked up at him and for the first time Atem realized how much more mature Yuugi had gotten. His face was more defined and he had grown a few inches. His eyes still held the same innocent glow in them, yet now they were clouded with some form of emotion. Guilt? Sorrow?

"Anzu…" Yuugi mumbled. Atem thought it sounded a little unhappy.

His hand tightened over Yuugi's slightly. "Aibou…Is she okay?"

Yuugi swallowed thickly. "You've been gone almost a year…" Atem nodded slowly in understanding. That would account for Yuugi's physical changes. "Anzu went to America after graduation…She…uh…well…"

Atem grew tense. What was Yuugi keeping? Was she hurt? Had she…No. If she had died, she would have gone to the After Life. He never saw her there. The Pharaoh leaned closer to Yuugi, his eyes boring into his lighter self's. "Tell me," his voice was firm. A demand.

Yuugi looked up through his thick lashes. An apology clear in his eyes. "She met this guy…and well…" He sighed heavily. "She got married about three months ago."

Atem frozen.

It was like a bomb went off.

"_She got married about three months ago."_

Something in his chest twisted. His face felt cold; his hands clammy. He had to lick his lips to speak his next question. "As in…she's _his?_" But that's ridiculous. Anzu had always been his…They were meant to be together. It was a fluke.

Yuugi pushed his egg around, his chopsticks scrapping the plate shrilly. "Well, technically, she doesn't belong to him…"

Atem withdrew his hand. "Can I…Do you know how to contact her?"

Yuugi glanced at the doorway that lead to the Game Shop. "Yeah…Her number is in the phonebook. It's still under Mazaki. I think it's late in America though…"

Atem didn't care about the time difference. He somehow knew that Anzu would answer. Her American number was scrawled in Yuugi's hand under her old one. After dialing and agreeing to the charges, he heard the line ringing on her end. His grip on the phone tightened and he could hear the plastic protest. He felt more than he heard Yuugi quietly enter the Game Shop, standing in the darkness of the stairway.

**X**

It was late in America. Anzu had finally joined her husband in the bed and was just beginning to relax, her muscles unwind…when the phone rang. She groaned and rolled over. Her husband muttering a curse. It rang again.

"Just ignore it, babe." Her husband, Dan, muttered.

Anzu nodded, sleep calling out to her. Three rings later she heard the answering machine kick on, her chipper voice speaking through the machine:

_Hi there! You've reached Dan and Anzu Gardner! We can't come to the phone right now but if you'll leave a brief message we'll get back to you!_

The message repeated in Japanese and then a beep was heard. Anzu figured the caller would hang up or leave a message.

"_Anzu…"_

His voice breathed through the darkness, calling to her. She sat up in bed, waking up Dan. Her eyes widened. No way. He was _dead._ It was her imagination.

"_Anzu, it's Atem and…I want to…I…"_

She launched from her bed and dashed to the living room area of their apartment where the phone was kept. She heard Dan sit up in bed. "Atem? Who's Atem?"

Anzu ripped the phone from the cradle and held it to her ear. "Oh my god…You're alive…"

**X**

"Anzu, it's Atem and…I want to…I…" He closed his eyes. Never before had words failed him as greatly as they did now. What was he to say? He was clueless.

He heard another beep and figured his call was over, when…

"Oh my god…You're alive…" She breathed into the phone.

His knees went weak at hearing her voice. "Anzu…" Why could he only seem to say her name? There was so much that needed to be said…

"H-How?" She questioned quietly, disbelief coloring her tone.

"I don't know…" He whispered back.

It was silent on both ends for a few seconds and then, "Is it true, Anzu?"

She was quiet for a moment, as if she were stalling. At least, that's how it seemed to him. "Is what true?"

Atem wanted to narrow his eyes at her, but settled for the wall. "You're married." He stated.

"Oh…Yes…I thought…You…" Now it was her turn to stumble for words.

Atem rested his forehead against the wall. It was cool against his suddenly feverish body. "I came back because of you…"

Her reply was a quiet sob. "I…never stopped loving you…" She whispered.

The Pharaoh closed his eyes, wishing that he could see her oceanic ones. "Does he…make you happy?"

She was quiet for a moment. "Atem, you were gone…I was alone here…I…I'm sorry…I thought you would have wanted me to move on…"

Atem could feel Yuugi's eyes burning wholes into his back. He shifted his weight to his right leg, still leaning against the wall. He could hear a male's voice in the background, his voice sharp and demanding. Atem's jaw clenched. No man should ever speak that way to her…

Then again…hadn't he? Several times? On the blimp. On the train.

Why did he have such a problem with other men talking to her cruelly or owning her in the sense of marriage, yet, he had been sharp with her before and he had always considered her his. Even now, when there were thousands of miles between then and simple metal band and a piece of paper separating them, it still felt like she was his. And that he was hers.

And he didn't mind being hers. He was fairly certain that if, by the end of their call, she told him to leave her alone and that was what she wanted, he would leave her alone. He would miss her and most likely mope for a long time, but he wanted her to be happy. He would do just about anything to make her happy. To see her smile. To hear her laugh. All she would have to do was say the word, and he would follow.

He heard rustling on her end, and then she spoke to someone else. She spoke in a different language, what he assumed was English, like he had heard on her machine message. He did, however, pick up one word that he remembered from sitting in during one of Yuugi's English classes when he had fallen asleep: Friend.

"Anzu, must you use that word? We both know…" He trailed off. In truth, neither of them had ever actually come out and said their feelings. But, for some reason this morning, it didn't matter. None of their awkwardly built walls were around them.

She sighed tiredly, as if the world had been placed on her shoulders. "Yami…"

He felt a tingle at hearing his old name. She was the only one that had continued to use that name with him even after his own had been discovered. And it didn't bother him. Sure, she had given him the cartouche so that he could always remember his name, but that name, _Yami_, was special to the two of them. It had been the name they had learned together that night, all those years ago.

"I…I'll be on the next flight to Japan," she whispered, bringing his attention to the present.

Hope blossomed in his heart. "Are you certain? It's no trouble? What about your dancing?"

He could almost hear the sad smile on her face. He could imagine the way her eyes would soften. "Yami, everything else can wait. I've learned how precious time and life can be," she paused and he imagined that she was looking down. "You…We don't know how long you have in this time. I need to see you…"

He nodded and grunted his agreement. Her steady breathing filled the silence until, "And…and Yami?"

"Yes?"

"Promise me you'll be there…" Her voice was tiny and small.

Atem narrowed his eyes. He knew that she had a point in saying that his time there could be limited. He didn't even know how he was there. His guess about the gods taking pity was just that, a guess. He nodded slowly. "Anzu, I swear that I will be there when you get off that plane."

There was a moment's silence. "I'll see you in a few hours." Then her line went dead. Atem slowly hung the phone back up on the wall.

Yuugi stepped closer behind him. "Atem?"

The Pharaoh slowly turned to face his other self. "Let's go meet with Honda and Jonouchi."

Yuugi opened his mouth, closed it, and then smiled. "Come on!"

And like that, the subject of Anzu was once again dropped.

**X**

Anzu's leg shook. They were so close to landing. It had been about sixteen hours since she had heard his voice. And it had been a rough sixteen hours. As soon as she had hung up, his promise still buzzing in her mind, Dan had been questioning her as to who she had jumped out of bed to speak with.

He obviously didn't buy her lie about Atem being "an old friend." Even when Yuugi or the others called late at night she would not react as she had, unless they left a message giving her reason to, like the time Yuugi had called, panicked and crying, because Gramps had had a heart attack.

Dan knew something was different about Atem. There had been lots of screaming as she left their apartment. She knew she should just tell him the truth, Atem had been her old –and current- love. However, that would not explain _everything_. And the minute said told him that Atem had died and come back and she had to rush back home before he left again, he would send her to the nuthouse. Heck, she would send _herself _if she had not known the truth of the matter.

She fingered the gold wedding band on her finger. As the cold metal rubbed her skin, she felt herself grow more disgusted with herself. She had never been a big fan of gold…until about a year ago. Dan had originally given her a silver engagement ring because she had always loved silver, but she had made up a lie that she was allergic to silver…Her gold wedding band and the garnet set in the middle was more of a way of promising her love to Atem, not Dan. It was like she was cheating on Dan.

Glancing at it, all she could think of were those two eyes of blood, almost cat-like in the way they were slanted and always observing the area or situation. She had longed to see those eyes again…

She rested her head back against the headrest. Her eyes closed as the pilot came over the intercom and relayed in a few different languages that they were close to landing in Tokyo. Peeking open an eye, she looked out the window at the inky dark sky with a few twinkling stars scattered around. She barely recognized her face as it was reflected back at her across the dark window.

Her skin was almost gaunt, stretched tight across her face, her once round and soft cheek bones now jutted out making her look sickly up close. It was the same all over her body. Her years of practicing and training had never prepared her for the cruel world of dancing reality. She had to be the thinnest. She had never been much into dieting or watching her figure, but when those extra five pounds were the difference between a role and never dancing on Broadway again, she made sure to loose ten.

She was not happy with the way she looked: Bony and pale, tired eyes (more so than usual due to the current situation), and her hair hung limp just past her shoulders, her bangs now long enough to hide her eyes if need be. She only looked appealing in pounds and pounds of stage make-up and pretty costumes.

Would Atem recognize her?

Would he be even there?

She felt the plane begin its descent.

X

He wasn't quite sure what to do with his hands. He kept folding and unfolding his arms, his hands itching to do something, anything, to get his mind off of what would happen in about twenty minutes. He stood gazing out the wall of windows, his back rigid, as he searched for the lights of the plane. Tokyo was illuminated just pass the runway.

He placed his arm across the window glass and leaned his forehead against it. He vaguely noted that his forehead was warmer than his arm. The beauty of the night mixed with his nervousness of seeing Anzu again caused him to think back to the last time they had been alone together.

_X_

_She stared up at him with those wide eyes. He could get lost in those eyes, as deep as the ocean itself. The Pharaoh could tell that she had been crying; her lashes stuck together and there were tear marks on her face. She sat cross legged in the center of her bed. She wore an oversized Domino High shirt and a pair of purple sleep pants. A Dark Magician Girl plush was cradled to her chest. She looked like a child._

_He stepped further into her room and gently closed the door behind himself. She shrank further into herself the closer he moved towards her. "Anzu," he whispered. "Are you afraid of me?"_

_She gazed up at him, her lips quivering. "N-no…I could never be afraid of you."_

_He slowly sat on the bed next to her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her closer to himself. He himself was surprised at his sudden display of affection, but he needed to give Anzu a proper goodbye. She tilted her head back and looked at him. His eyes met hers._

"_Back at school, you were worried that I would forget you guys when I regained my old memories," he began. Anzu nodded, remembering the moment in the classroom. She hadn't expected him to come out, but he had. And he had calmed her worries then. It seemed he wanted to calm her worries now._

_She sighed and looked down, her eyes locked on her Magician Girl. "Ya-…I mean…Atem…I know you won't forget us…if you…if you lose tomorrow…And…I…It's time you finally went to the After Life." She looked back up at him._

_Atem gently squeezed her tighter. "I will never forget you, Anzu-chan."_

_Another tear escaped her eye. "I won't forget you, either…"_

_He pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead and murmured "Sleep well." Then, the Spirit stood and slowly left her room…without looking back. Anzu watched his retreating form from her bed, unable to stop her silent tears._

_**X**_

Atem wanted to slap himself. He shouldn't have left her like that…She had been crying…A loud buzzing was heard before the announcement of Anzu's plane's arrival was heard over the white noise of the airport. Atem's hands twitched again.

He pushed away from the window and turned towards where people had begun gathering to welcome their loved ones. His head tilted in puzzlement. How was he to greet her? A simple hello? A friendly kiss? A hug?

His time decide was quickly running out as the first of the people came through the gate. His brow furrowed in concentration as his eyes quickly darted from person to person, searching for chocolate hair.

Couples embraced and friends hugged around him. A group of tourists came out of the door, already flashing pictures. The flash from the oversized camera one of them used caused him to blink. When he opened his eyes…he saw her through the remains of the blur caused by the flash. Her hair was longer, reaching to passed her shoulders, her bangs hanging in her eyes. She had lost weight, not enough to look deathly skinny, but enough to make her cheek bones stand out more. Her weight loss gave him the idea that they should grab a bite to eat.

He stood frozen to his spot. He wasn't sure what to do. He had never experienced this and did not have Yuugi to guide him through it. But then…her azure eyes moved to the left and landed on him. She stopped in her place, causing the couple behind her to grumble and move around her. He could her breathing had picked up, as her chest began to rise and fall more quickly. Her pink lips opened in shock.

He saw his name form on those lips and that was the push that got him to move forward. He wasn't scared anymore. He now had a chance to make up for lost time and for leaving her crying after their last encounter.

They strode towards each other, meeting halfway. Fire and ice met. Anzu's mouth opened, closed, and opened again and yet nothing was said. Atem smirked slightly, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair back behind her ear.

"I told you I would be here," he whispered.

Anzu chuckled, her eyes glistening. "Yeah…you are…"

His hand lingered on her cheek, enjoying the softness of her soft skin. "Now what?"

Anzu licked her lips, moistening them as if her throat was dry. "I…I'm not sure."

Atem's eyes racked over her once more. "Why don't we go get something to eat? There's a coffee shop on the next block."

A soft laugh escaped her throat again. "A coffee shop? I'd like that…"

The former Pharaoh's smile softened as his hand trailed down to take her hand. He turned and began to pull her through the crowds towards the front of the airport to collect her bag and to exit. She gazed at his unruly hair as they snaked through the throngs of people and…just for a moment…she allowed herself to believe that this was real…and not a dream…

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Until next time!

~MutantEnemy101


	2. Part 2

So sorry this took so long. I did proof read this time so it should have only a few mistakes. And, as always, I own nothing.

Here are some reviews I've not replied to:

Shiks: I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. Your review made me smile. Thank you. : )

Cindy Medeiros: Thanks. I hope this update was quick enough for you.

EgyptianBlueEyes: Thanks and I think that the whole Anzu marrying someone else thing will be explained enough for it to be understandable in this chapter.

axalover11: Thanks!

Karlaguilar: Thanks, and yep! I've continued it!

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**A Kiss Goodnight**

**Part 2**

Anzu picked up her iced latte and leaned back in her chair, laughing softly as she ended her story about her group of friends in America. Atem gripped his herbal tea a little tighter. He knew he should be happy that she had made new friends and was following her dream. She was happy and that was all he had ever wanted for her. And yet…a part of him was jealous that he was not a part of her life. He wanted to be there with her when she waited for a call back or sitting in the audience while she danced.

He peered down at his Styrofoam cup as he asked his next question. "I do not believe you mentioned how you and your partner met each other. May I ask as to how?"

His crimson eyes flickered up through his golden bangs. Anzu gently placed her clear, plastic cup back down on the table, the ice clattering together quietly. Atem straightened up as she began to fiddle with her wedding band.

"Well…Dan is a sound guy. He works with the microphones," She paused and her slender finger began tracing circles in the condensation on her cup. "I was preforming in a production of _The Phantom of the Opera. _I was a chorus girl and a ballet dancer. It was the first major role I ever had as I had a solo part during 'The Point of No Return,'" Her eyes became glossy as she remembered the day she and Dan had met. She grew silent and after a moment she shook her head, clearing it. "Anyway, Dan was the one who set my mic up. At that time, I still had to have a translator with me sometimes. Turned out, he had taken a Japanese class online because a lot of the techs had to call over to Japan a lot to ask about updates and stuff." She shrugged lightly. "We became friends and by the time we closed, we were dating."

Her eyes glanced at Atem's. Atem held her gaze for a moment before speaking his mind. "That was rather fast, Anzu."

She pursed her lips. "Yeah, well…I was lonely."

"That's not much of a reason to-"

Anzu slammed her fist down on the table, silencing him and drawing attention to them both. "Damn it, Atem! You were-" She drew in a deep breath and glanced around the coffee shop. She smiled in apology as the other patrons slowly turned back to their own conversations and drinks. She breathed in again before continuing in a calmer manner. "I'm sorry…That was uncalled for."

Atem moved his hands down to rest in his lap, fisting them. He wanted to reach out and pull her to himself. He wanted to hold her and tell her that she wasn't alone now…but he couldn't. Because if he left again, she would be alone again and he would not ruin what she had with Dan. The former Pharaoh nodded in understanding. "You need not apologize. I spoke out of place by saying that."

Anzu looked down at her hand and continued to play with her ring. Atem took a moment to examine the item. It was Egyptian like in style. In fact…he could have sworn he had worn something similar in the World of Memory. He scrunched his brows together and reached a tentative hand towards hers. She glanced up at him with scared eyes.

"Anzu…Your ring…" Atem was uncertain as to how to finish his statement.

She sighed, as if she had been caught doing something wrong. "It's my wedding band. I had it designed to look like one I had seen you wear in Egypt. It made me think of you…Your golden puzzle…Your crimson eyes…Even though I was promising myself to Dan, I was also promising myself to you because-" She clamped her mouth shut and looked away. Atem could feel her tense.

His hold on her hand tightened. He wanted to let her know that he would listen to whatever she had to say. "Go on," he urged.

She turned back to him. "I was baby-sitting for a girl I dance with and her daughter was watching this cartoon. At the end of the movie, the main character was about to marry someone she didn't love. Right before she said 'I do,' she looked down at the ring given to her by the person she did love and that gave her the strength to leave the wedding," she waved her other hand dismissively. "Anyway, it gave me the idea that if I had a ring that reminded me of you, I would have the strength to try and move on. But, it also kinda feels like I'm cheating on Dan because even though it's a ring promising myself to him, all I can think about is you." She blushed faintly. "I'm talking too much. How's Yuugi? How was the After Life?"

She gently moved her hand away from his and Atem retracted his empty hand. He wasn't quite sure how to take in what she had just told him. Had she in a way told him that she loved him? He had said to her earlier that they both knew, but did they really? They had never come out and said the actual words nor had done anything else to prove it. Friends went on dates, right? And friends protected each other, right?

He cleared his throat. "Yuugi is going on with his life, from the sounds of what he told me. I'm sure you know about as much as I do about him. As for the After Life, it was…an agreeable place."

Anzu lifted a brow. "An agreeable place? What's that mean?"

He carefully chose his words. "It was…pleasant. I was with my friends and family. I had everything I could ever want…" He trailed off.

"But…" She hinted softly.

His eyes returned once more to his drink. "Anzu, you know how sometimes mistakes are made, right?" She nodded, so he continued on. "I believe I was sent back to the world of the living to correct a mistake made by the Gods."

She blinked. "The Gods? Mistake?"

He looked back up at her. "Anzu, you were supposed to be alive in Ancient Egypt 3,000 years ago. You are supposed to be dead now while another girl is living in your place."

The dancer was silent, her face calm. She abruptly pushed away her chair and stood, taking her purse with her. "This is a sick joke, Atem."

Atem stood quickly. "No, Anzu! You have to believe me! You are-"

She shook her head. "My life isn't a mistake, Atemu! I'm meant to be a dancer in New York! I'm meant to be Anzu Gardner! My life is going perfect! I'm married and happy and have a life and…and…" A tear escaped her eye and she turned on her heel before rushing from the shop.

Atem stood there, frozen, as every patron stared at him once more.

**X**

The heels of her boots clicked loudly on the sidewalk as Anzu stormed away. She grumbled under her breath as she made it further and further away from the coffee shop, not even bothering to see where she was going or who she rudely bumped shoulders with.

"How dare he…That game obsessed, brought back from the dead, good for nothing ancient spirit! Has the nerve to tell me that _my _life is a mistake when he's the one that just keeps coming back from the dead and messing with people's emotions! What happened to the days when if a person died, they stayed dead! They allowed you to mourn and then move on! But, oh no! Atem just _had _to come back and…and…"

The girl paused suddenly in the middle of the walkway. Her hand flew to her mouth to conceal her drawn in breath. She was acting so stupid! _Atem had come back and she was running away! _She shook her head at her stupidity. After every thing they had been through in the past five years, the least she could have done was hear him out. Her existence being some kind of…cosmic slip-up did sound ridiculous, and she _did _have a right to be a little bit confused or angry since the love of her life told her that her life was a mistake, but…

"I've got to apologize!" She muttered before turning around and pushing back through the crowd to reach him, ignoring the grunts of protest.

**X**

_'That…could have gone better…' _He thought to himself as he headed out onto the sidewalk. His eyes darted from left to right, wondering which direction she had gone in. He needed to find her, calm her down, and explain what he had meant. There had to have been a better way of telling her that, but he had never been one to break things easy. He usually held it in or cut to the chase. He sighed heavily. He should have asked Yuugi how to tell her the truth.

Deciding to test his odds, he went left. He walked passed a few shops and stalls before he gave in and started asking shop owners if they had seen a girl of her description, rushing by and looking upset. He received several nos. After a few more, he backtracked.

He passed the coffee shop and was approaching the businesses on the right side when a shout cut through the air. He tensed when he saw a few people either rush away or gather around where he assumed the shout came from. Curiosity and nervousness made his insides tighten as he picked up the pace.

**X**

She could see the coffee shop sign ahead, and if she looked hard enough, she swore she saw Atem's unique hair in the crowd. A burst of energy coursed through her and she tried to lunge forward, only to be pulled back. She yelped and allowed herself to be slammed back onto what felt like a man's front side. She craned her head back and gasped at the familiar face that sneered down at her. Piercing blue eyes glared down at her and unruly brown hair hung down over a tanned forehead.

"D-Dan!" Her husband nodded in the affirmative before tightening his grip on her shoulder and arm. She shouted out in pain and a few people stopped to look at her while others scurried on their way, hoping to not be involved.

"You're coming back, Anzu. _Now._" Dan turned and began pulling her along.

She struggled, shocked that he had come all this way to get her. "Dan, no! I have to find Atem! I have to-"

The American turned and she shrank back. He was no longer the kind hearted man she had accepted into her life, he was like a stranger to her…The way he looked at her…Like she was some sort of possession…It reminded her of Marik's dark side and caused her to shiver at the memory.

"We're going home! After you left without telling me what was so important, I looked through that box of yours."

Anzu's irises shrank. Her box. It was a shoe box that she kept hidden on the top shelf of her closet. Inside of it were a few Duel Monsters cards, her high school diary, a photo album, and a blank cartouche. If he read the diary…But wait…"You can't read Japanese…You couldn't have read my diary or the captions in the photo album."

He narrowed his eyes. "But I can _see._ I don't know if your friend Yuugi has a twin or something, but something's not right about him. There were pictures of an older looking Yuugi wearing a cartouche similar to the one you had in that box. And there were pictures of you two awfully close. I put two and two together. Atem's not just your friend, is he? You're in love with him!" He released his hold on her.

Anzu shook her head, "No! Please, hear me out! Atem is-"

Pain.

Her head snapped to the side and a stinging danced across her cheek. She slowly turned back to him, her hand rubbing her red cheek.

"I'm taking you back to New York before you screw up this marriage," he hissed.

Anzu stood there, her mouth hanging open. Luckily, a business looking man stepped forward, his worried glance landed on her. He spoke to them in choppy English. "Girl, you okay?"

That's when Anzu noticed the crowd. She gulped. Wonderful. She and Dan had caused a scene. She shook her head at the man, smiling before speaking to him in Japanese. "No, we're just having a disagreement. It'll be okay."

The man didn't seem to believe her. However, he bowed his head and backed away. The crowd took his lead and moved away as well, some leaving. Anzu relaxed a little before turning back to Dan. "Let's go somewhere private!" She hissed.

Dan opened his mouth and snapped it shut into a grim line. His eyes zeroed in on something behind her and she slowly turned, half knowing what she would see. And she did see him. Atem stood behind them about five paces away, his posture straight and stiff, the way he usually stood before a duel. A duel.

She lurched forward. "Oh _gods_! Atem no!"

She heard more than felt Dan pull her arm out of socket, it was like a popping that echoed from inside her followed by a numbing fire that licked down her arm and across her shoulder blade. She screamed and dropped to the ground, curling into a ball and whimpering. She couldn't move her arm.

Screams and shouts erupted around her. Voices began calling out. Atem growled and out of her peripheral vision, she saw his black jeans clad legs dash by her. More shouts and a few grunts told her that Dan and Atem were fighting.

She pinched her eyes shut against her tears. Dan would kill Atem…As far as she knew, Atem didn't know a thing about hand-to-hand fights. Much less street fights. Jonouchi and Honda handled all of the fighting and Yuugi never watched. Atem would have to use Shadow Magic.

Her eyes snapped open and she gritted her teeth against the pain. Using her good arm, she pushed herself up. _No_, she thought as she watched the two brawl. She wasn't a scared little girl anymore. She had to stop them.

Before either of them got hurt.

**X**

He saw the crowd backing away and he relaxed a bit. Maybe it wasn't Anzu then. That hope was quickly crushed, though, when a woman stepped to the side revealing Anzu and an American man that he assumed was Dan. He faintly heard Anzu tell him something in English.

Atem could feel the possessiveness rolling off of Dan. His blue eyes were crazed as they moved from Anzu to him by accident. That's when Atem felt the possessiveness turn to bitterness. Anzu slowly turned around. She was scared. He had to separate her from Dan before she got hurt-

Her cheek. It was red. The son of a scarab had slapped her.

His eyes narrowed. No one laid a hand on his precious Anzu. He began to draw upon his powers of darkness.

Anzu lurched forward, screaming. "Oh _gods_! Atem no!"

Everything happened so fast. In the moment it took him to realize that he did not have his powers, that he was _mortal_, Dan had grabbed Anzu by her wrist and yanked her back, throwing her to the side where she crumpled to the ground, making noises of pain.

Mortal or not, no one did that to the woman he loved.

He dashed forward and Dan met his challenge. Atem took a few punches and kicks before the few fights he had seen Jonouchi in came back to him and he was able to dodge a few. However, he had no experience himself. He was vulnerable without his powers, therefore he needed to think of something and fast.

Another knee to the stomach brought him to his knees, coughing. Something collided with the side of his head and he smacked down against the concrete. He was losing. And badly. He forced himself to ignore the pain and center himself on the enemy.

As Dan smugly moved closer to him, Atem kept still. Let him think that he had won. Dan lifted his leg and Atem still waited. Dan's leg moved forward with the intent to kick him in the stomach.

That's when Atem moved. He rolled flat on his back, causing Dan to miss and lose his balance. He cried out and fell backwards. Atem jumped to his feet and backed away, his eyes locked on Gardner. The bigger man's eyes glared up at the Egyptian as he leapt up to his feet. Atem had had one idea and now he had to quickly think of his next move. His eyes surveyed the area. The crowd had reassembled, but they left them room to fight and –he noticed- no one was jumping in to help. He could hear sirens in the distance and they were growing closer. He needed to either finish it now or hold him off until the authorities arrived. The second choice was his best option, though it killed him to give up on winning any type of competition, it was the smart thing to do. It would be what Yuugi and Anzu would want-

Anzu.

Atem let out an Egyptian swear under his breath. He had allowed for Dan to get between him and Anzu. He shifted his weight so that he could peep at Anzu. He found her moving to get up. His attention snapped back to Dan as his opponent began moving forward, eager to finish the fight.

The former Pharaoh fisted his hands; he would just have to keep him busy for just a few more minutes. Atem watched as Dan moved to take another swing at him. Looking more like an enchanting dancer than a deadly gamer, Atem twirled to the right and narrowly missed another punch to the face. Dan's stance wavered and he wobbled before he regained his posture; his stance being so that he was bent at the waist at Atem's left side. Seeing an opening, Atem bent his elbow before bringing it up and then down onto Dan's spine.

The crowd cheered for him as Dan went back down to the crowd. Atem took a moment to glance at Anzu, who had gotten back to her feet, cradling her useless arm as it hung down her side. "Anzu? Are you-"

"Atem, behind you!" She screamed in terror before Atem was yanked by his arm and thrown against the face of a stone candy shop. He yelped in pain as his arm was twisted and pressed against his back.

Atem had enough room to turn his head briefly to the side. Madly, his eyes darted around until he saw Dan. His brain finally processed that Dan had seized his moment of distraction to jump to his feet and take the upper hand. Dan's hold on Atem tightened and Atem feared for a brief instant that his arm would be broken and he would be helpless…or more so.

Dan leered down at him. "You broke Anzu before. I'm gonna break you," he snarled in jerky Japanese.

Atem did not have a moment to react before his head was slammed into the wall. He could not react as pain flooded through him. Again and again. The only thing that existed was the agony. He had never felt anything like it. He could no longer feel his face. Blood dripped into his eyes, burning them and turning them redder.

It wasn't long before they were blank and glassy.

A scream of rage, a shout of pain, and then…

Nothing.

**X**

Anzu's shoulders heaved. She could not feel the pain of her wound. She figured it was the adrenaline that coursed like a river through her body.

In her hands, she held a laptop case she had taken from a college student. That case slipped from her hands and crashed to the cement below; shattering it, she was sure. She would worry about that later.

Now, she dropped to her knees. Before her, two men were resting on the ground. Yet, she knew they were not simply resting…She panted as she felt her veins and arteries pump as the last of the adrenaline made its round. With a shaking hand, she turned the first man –the one she had hit on the back of the head with the laptop- onto his back. She could see his chest rising and falling. He was alive.

And yet, the life of the man that she had vowed to love. To have and to hold forever, meant little to her.

Her gaze went to the man crumpled like a broken doll halfway under the first and curled against the wall. A few of his wild spikes were plastered to his head. And there was a lot of blood. The smell hit her as her normal senses returned to her. The bitter copper and salty smell cleared away her hazy thoughts as the reality before her finally took hold.

That's when she started screaming.

**X**

It was nearing the early morning hours and Anzu could not remember when she had slept last. Or eaten, for that matter. However, food and sleep meant nothing to her as she sat in the hard plastic chair beside the hospital bed. Cords and wires protruded from the gauze wrapped, blanket covered figure that was supposed to be Atem. Something deep inside her refused to believe that it was Atem that was there before her. However, she knew the truth. She had been there.

Everything was a blur to her. She had been pulled away and ushered to an ambulance. She fought like a wild animal while they tried to treat her injury. They would not let her see Atem. And she had hated them for that.

Her next memory was of being taken to the hospital where she was seen by a doctor before being taken away to another room. There, the police asked her endless questions. _What's your name? What are the two men's names? Why were they fighting? Was it self-defense? Why were you there? Do you have family here? _

Anzu answered each question, growing more irritated by the second. Finally, they released her. She begged a nurse to take her to Atem and…Here she was. She had no clue as to how long she had been there. Or how long he had been unconscious. His doctor had told her that he had serious brain damage and was lucky to be in the state he was.

But, she was more focused on what he said might happen…or rather…might not…

He might not wake up…

She pushed herself to her feet and leaned over the railing separating her from her beloved. Using the arm that wasn't being held in a sling, she reached out a hand and placed it over his chest, over his heart. It beat strong beneath her hand.

"Atem…Please, wake up…"

She wanted to kiss his forehead, but his skull had been cracked. She doubted that she would receive a response even if she did. She swallowed thickly.

"Please, gods…I'm not…ready to lose him…"

She never should have come. If she had stayed back in America, Atem would still be okay. A little heart broken, but not…_broken._ He would be playing games with Yuugi. And she would…be in a relationship she did not wish to belong to…Living a dream that meant nothing to her without her friends, family, and love there with her. Her life in America was not her life. It had been what she thought she was supposed to do, yet something felt wrong about it.

Because she had never felt like herself until she had been reunited with Atem.

A tear dropped from her eye and landed on Atem's cheek. He had been right. Her existence in this time had been a mistake. She was meant to be with Atem. But, what about her friends? What about Yuugi? And her dancing…She was so close to getting that role as Clara...

A groan below her forced her eyes to turn back to Atem's lovely, yet battered face. Her throat tightened as she stopped breathing. He was waking up. She watched with growing tenseness as his eyes slowly fluttered open. Those killer like eyes were unfocused and dazed as they searched first the ceiling before going to survey the room and then resting on her. She let out a soft gasp when she saw how one of his pupils was bigger than the other…He had a concussion on top of everything else. She chewed her lip before taking the hand that was most free of wires; luckily it was the one closest to her.

"Atem," she spoke softly, like how one would to a child. "It's me, Anzu."

From what she could see of his ebony brows, they furrowed together in confusion before his face scrunched up in pain and then smoothed out. His nose twitched a little, and she supposed the oxygen tube under it was annoying to him. She held his hand a little tighter and his attention returned back to her.

"Do you remember what happened?"

His gaze remained on her for a few moments before he spoke. "What…" His voice was soft and fragile. She wanted to cry. "What happened at the end of that movie?"

"Huh?" Her own brows furrowed together in confusion. Movie? What movie?

"The one the little girl was watching?"

It took her a moment to remember the small part of their conversation that had been about the dumb children's movie. "Oh," still confused, she answered him. "The girl went back to the man she loved and they got married and lived happily ever after." Why was he asking…? She snickered briefly. "I'm going to pretend that was the concussion talking and forget all about it." She had spoken those words once upon a time to Yuugi. That time was far, far away now…

She felt Atem's hand twist in her own before grasping hers back just as tightly. "Anzu, I'm fine…"

She wanted to laugh, to cry, to yell. "No, you're not. You're in pretty bad shape. We wondered if you were going to wake up. And if you did…how you would wake up. Your frontal lobe was damaged a little and your temporal lobe was also damaged."

His gaze was blank. Then he smirked. "Trust me, I'll be fine."

Anzu narrowed her eyes. "_What? _Do you have some super spell card or something? Atem, cards don't work in the real world."

His smirk fell a bit. "It's…" He winced from some type of pain. "Complicated…While I was sleeping, the gods came to me. They told me…I could stay…"

Her brow rose. "I thought you already could stay here?"

His face darkened. "No…I had to make a deal…I could go back and everything would be how it was before I returned…"

"Or…?" She could not have gone back to her life before him, now that she knew…

He attempted to shrug, but ended up wincing. Anzu's breathing picked up as she was not quite sure what to do since she didn't know where he was hurting. Atem gripped her hand again and her anxiety calmed. "Anzu, they told me that I could stay in this world, and I will recover from…this…as long as I agree to stay mortal and you still…want me…"

Anzu carefully held his hand with both of hers. "I do…I love you. But…you would give up the After Life –what you've worked so hard to get to- and your powers just for me? I…Is that what _you _want?"

Atem smiled. He didn't smirk or grin. He smiled. "Yes."

Anzu returned his smile. For this moment, it would be easy to forget about Dan and about Atem's injuries and all the legal crap that would now surround her, but she would allow herself a brief moment's reverie before she had to return. She had some divorce and restraining order papers to sign. She cupped Atem's less battered cheek with her hand. Atem must have known what she was intending to do, because he readily accepted her kiss.

Kissing Atem was not how she would have dreamed it to be. He wasn't rough with her, like she had imagined. He was gentle and sweet.

She pulled away slowly and she giggled softly at the look of disappointment on Atem's face. She felt the same way, but…

"Oh, don't give me that look, Pharaoh. I've got some things I need to get done and you've got to recover. I'll get a nurse for you. I'm sure you're in pain."

She started to walk away. A surprisingly firm grasp on her arm made her stop and turn back around. She stared at him in shock that he had the strength to hold her that tightly. If she didn't know any better, she would think he wasn't lying in a hospital bed. But, then again, the gods were healing him.

"Anzu-chan, was that…" His eyes softened. "Was that a kiss goodbye?"

She smiled and went back to his side. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "No, silly. It was a kiss goodnight."

* * *

Towards the end, the characters just kinda took over and I stopped fighting them. Next I'll work on finishing my Dungeon Dice Monsters alternative one-shot.

~MutantEnemy101


End file.
